Chapter 9: Warming the Heart and the Stomach

Huo Tingwu knew that if he stayed any longer, he’d only be tormenting himself.
“Wife, are you hungry? I’ll go make you something to eat.”

Ye Tao looked at him suspiciously.
“You can cook?”

“Of course. Don’t underestimate your man.”

In the Huo family, every man could cook. It was a house rule set by his father—the very first rule was that a man had to know how to cook.

Cooking was the best dowry a man could bring into marriage.

“That’s great.” Ye Tao brightened. Though she could cook herself, if there was free labor, why waste the opportunity?

“No problem,” Huo Tingwu nodded.

With limited ingredients at home, Ye Tao didn’t know what to eat. Suddenly, she found herself missing modern breakfast shops.

“How about I make a bowl of clear broth noodles for you?”

“Okay.” In this era, with resources so scarce, Ye Tao wasn’t picky. As long as her stomach was full, she was content.

But when she caught his gaze—a wolfish look, like prey had been spotted—her heart jumped. Bad sign! She quickly curled herself up under the blanket like a frightened quail and urged him to hurry up and leave.

Fearing he’d push her too far, Huo Tingwu quickly got dressed.

Before leaving, though, he didn’t forget to sneak in a little “benefit.”

Ye Tao touched her lips, and a faint smile appeared on her face.

In the courtyard, Liu Wenxiu was sun-drying soybeans while Cao Shuya worked alongside her with little Miaomiao.

Soybeans harvested last year had been stored in the granary, but if kept too long they easily attracted pests, so they had to be aired and picked over from time to time.

After a year of eating, only about ten catties were left. Some were kept as seeds; the rest would be given to the eldest son to take home.

They could be made into tofu or sprouted into bean sprouts.

“Is Taotao awake yet? There’s food left in the pot for you two, should still be warm. Eat it while it’s hot,” Liu Wenxiu called out.

Washing his face with clean water, Huo Tingwu replied,
“She’s awake. I’ll cook her some noodle soup.”

“That’s good. Noodle soup feels comforting. Use the white flour—it’s in the very back of the cupboard.”

“Does Miaomiao want some too?” he asked, remembering the child had always loved noodles when she was little.

“Yes!” Miaomiao answered happily, running over to hug his leg. “Thank you, Second Uncle!”

He bent down, gently ruffled her hair, and smiled. “You’re welcome.”

He first fried two eggs, poured in boiling water, and cooked the noodles. Then he added a couple of handfuls of greens from the neighbor’s garden, just enough to blanch them.

In each bowl, he put a spoonful of lard, salt, and soy sauce, added some of the noodle broth, mixed everything well, placed the noodles, then topped them with egg and greens. Finally, he sprinkled fresh chopped scallions over the top.

Smelling the aroma, he nodded in satisfaction.

By now, Ye Tao had gotten up. After Huo Tingwu’s massage, her soreness had eased considerably.

Sitting in front of the mirror, she frowned at her bangs. The original owner only had a single old hair tie.

Gathering up all her hair, she lifted her bangs, revealing a smooth forehead, and tied it into a neat bun. Simple yet elegant.

Even after years of poor nutrition, the original owner’s hair remained thick and shiny—clearly a matter of good genes.

As expected, Liu Wenxiu and Cao Shuya’s eyes lit up when they saw her.

“Taotao, your hair looks so good like that. Can you teach me?” Cao Shuya asked. She had never seen that hairstyle before; it looked capable and stylish, and she wanted to try it.

“Of course, Sister-in-law. I’ll show you now.”

Before she could start, Huo Tingwu came out and interrupted,
“How about after breakfast? Otherwise the noodles will get soggy.”

“Oh, right!” Cao Shuya slapped her thigh. “Almost forgot. Eat first, we’ll do hair later.”

That worked—Ye Tao’s stomach was already growling.

Standing nearby with a towel, Huo Tingwu immediately handed it over as soon as she finished washing her face.

Liu Wenxiu chuckled to Cao Shuya,
“First time I’ve seen Second Brother so attentive.”

It was the same for Cao Shuya. When she married into the family, Second Brother was already in the army, so they hadn’t met much. She always felt he had a cold exterior but a warm heart. Now that he’d found his true love, she was genuinely happy for him.

The steaming bowls of noodle soup were placed before them. Ye Tao realized—Huo Tingwu really could cook.

“Auntie, let’s eat together,” Miaomiao said obediently, waiting for her to wash up before starting.

Since the child’s appetite wasn’t big, Huo Tingwu had only made her a small bowl.

“How come you’re not eating noodles?” Ye Tao asked, noticing their meals were different.

“Mother heated up some rice in the pot. I’ll eat that,” he said simply. When he was away, all he missed was a humble bowl of rice from home. Plain porridge and side dishes were enough to satisfy him.

Ye Tao’s appetite was small, but Huo Tingwu insisted she finish both the noodles and the fried egg. She was far too thin—she needed nourishment.

“Auntie, look, I finished mine,” Miaomiao said proudly, clutching her clean bowl, lips still shiny with broth.

“Good girl.” Huo Tingwu praised her, then added meaningfully,
“Children are watching. As adults, we have to set a good example.”

Under the expectant gazes of one big and one small pair of eyes, Ye Tao forced herself to finish every noodle, slumping in her chair afterward.

After resting a bit, she got up to help Cao Shuya with her hair.

The bun was simple to learn. After two tries, Cao Shuya had it down, though hers was a little rougher than Ye Tao’s. Still, it looked good.

They even gave Miaomiao a matching bun, which made her round little face look exactly like a chubby New Year’s doll.

That morning, Huo Tingwen’s family was heading back to the county. Huo Tingwu also planned to take Ye Tao into town for a walk, so everyone set off together.

On the bike, Ye Tao sat on the back.

“Hold on to me,” Huo Tingwu instructed. “The road’s bumpy. You might fall.”

“Alright.” She didn’t fuss—after all, they’d already seen each other at their most vulnerable. What was a little touch?

She wrapped her arms around his waist.

The warmth of her touch made him jolt, his ears instantly red. She didn’t need to hold on so tightly—but he didn’t complain. Instead, the corners of his lips curved upward.

When they reached the county, Cao Shuya invited the couple over to her house. But Huo Tingwu declined—they had to go to the post office and the supply co-op first. Next time, he promised.

At the post office, he approached the counter.
“Comrade, I’d like to make a call.”

When the line connected, he got straight to the point, asking about his marriage report.

He had submitted it the day before their wedding, but only two days had passed—approval probably hadn’t come yet. Still, since he was in town, he wanted to check.

On the other end, Commander Ren chuckled,
“Didn’t think you were the impatient type. Haven’t seen it yet.”

Just as he said that, there was a knock at his door. A telegram was handed in—it was Huo Tingwu’s marriage application.

“Well, speak of the devil. It just landed in my hands.”

Though not yet approved, Huo Tingwu quickly explained: there was a small error—the sisters’ names were mixed up and needed correcting.

“That’s no problem. As long as her background checks out, everything else is easy to sort out,” Commander Ren reassured him.